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Patented Dec'.- 7, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcE PREFABRICATED HOUSE Jerome Zirinslw, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application August 7, 1942, Serial No. 453,924 14 Claims. (Cl. 20-2) 'Ihe following is a description of an invention in prefabricated houses including an entirely new type which is designed to replace present day slow-method construction by prefabricating wall and roof sections and transporting the same to the building site and erecting whole communities of houses in a mere matter of a few days.

The wall sections used are composed of slabs of room height having air spaces within them and assembled upon suitable foundations, with floor and roof slabs tted together and attached to the assembled wall sections, while the entire structure is preferably erected without the use of nails, screws, bolts, or metal fastenings of any kind.

This type of construction lends itself particularly to 4the erection of dwellings of single or multi-story forms, of large scale community housing. of housing for large groups of workers, also including dormitories of any size, and of Various types of factory buildings, all of these classes of structure being readily dismantled at will, by taking the sections apart in such manner as to render the same suitable for reassembly else- Where.

This invention relates to building construction of the prefabricated type which can be erected without the use of nails and which may be dismantled and taken apart without destroying any part.

The main object of my invention is to produce a type of building construction which greatly simplifies and speeds up assemblage of the building parts by virtue of their form, into a complete structure, and also allows taking the same apart to dismantle the building.

Another object is to produce mutually engaging wall and roof or ceiling units of full room height and roof width, respectively, in order to utilize the added strength accuing in each unit from avoidance of short lengths and intermediate joints.

A further object is to have a sill and crown structure having vertical tongues retaining upright wall units in assembled relation by extending into air spaces in said units, said crown structure supporting horizontally disposed ceiling units upon said wall units.

It is, in addition, an object to have upright intertting wall units of such character and of suicient width to allow a window or door with its frame to form detail in a single unit and to be completely included therein.

It is also an important object to combine ceiling slabs with ceiling beams to form long ceiling units.

Yet another object is to have a type of construction in which it is possible to completely avoid the use of nails, screws and bolts or any other metal fastenings and is instead adapted to be assembled with the use of a plastic cement.

Other objects and the several advantages inherent in my invention and in its practical application in the art will appear as the specication proceeds.

In order to set forth more comprehensively the construction embodying the invention and bringing out the salient features thereof, the same is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a one story house or other building erected according to the principles of the invention, in simple and practical form.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary horizontal section of the same taken on line II-II in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged section of a portion of Fig. 1 taken on line III-III.

Fig. 4 is another fragmentary enlarged section of a portion of Fig. 1 taken on line IV-IV.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section of the wall structure of Fig. 4 as taken on line V-V.

Fig. 6 is a similar view of a modification.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the wall base or rail of Figures 1, 3, 4 and 10.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective of portion of the wall crown immediately under the roof in the same iigures.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of roof and ceiling detail.

Fig. 10 is a. front elevation of a two story building erected according to the same main principles of the house of Fig. 1.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary section of a portion of the structure shown in Figure 10 as taken on line XI-XI.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary plan view of the same portion.

Fig. 13 is a section through a gable roof on a house made according to certain principles of the invention. Y

Fig. 14 in fragmentary form illustrates how a house may be horizontally divided for removal.

Throughout the views, the same references indicate the same or like parts.

In the construction of buildings which should be erected economically and with greater expedition,` and also be capable of being taken apart for reassembly elsewhere, it is essential that the construction be of such nature that the structural members are conveniently and easily tted together in a reliable manner which accords with practical structural design and does not present any fitting or attaching problems. In addition, the structural members should be durable, compact and strong so as to be easily handled, assembled and erected, and also to incorporate the features of the structural design to best` advantage.

Furthermore, the construction should be capable of being assembled without using any metal parts or securing means, if so desired.

With these points in mind and particularly with the foregoing objects in view, the invention is designed to form a highly practical solution to a group of serious building problems.

Hence in the practice of my invention a wall base `or rail I (Figures 1. 4 and 10) is provided with a downwardly projecting intermediate rib 2 and a downwardly projecting face portion I and is adapted to be supported upon a foundation 4 having a groove 5 adapted to receive the rib 2 and hold the rail or base in place. By placing a group of such rails in position to form the outline of a house or other building, according to the size of the floor plan of the same, a proper foundation will be formed for the outside walls of said house, which is generally indicated in Figure 1 at 6. Upon the base or rail is a series of upwardly extending projections 1, 1 (Figures 4 and '7) which are integral with said base and serve a purpose which will immediately appear. Between the front and rear rails and lying upon the foundation 4, 4 is a group of floor slabs 8, 8 of any suitable material which engage against the inner sides or edges of the rail members and serveas a floor for the whole structure.

In order to form the walls of the building, a

group of wall members 9, 9 etc., which are preferably hollow are adapted to be set upright upon the base or wall rail I in such fashion that the projections 1. 1 of the latter will enter and exactly fit into the hollow portions I0, I in said wall members, thus definitely locating the `wall members upon the base I in each case. The mentioned wall members are intended to extend the entire height of the room, or in the case of Figures 1, 3 and 4 of the entire wall height and are provided along their vertical edges with corresponding tongues I I and grooves I2 as particularly shown in Figure 2, so that the wall members are actually fitted together like boards in a fence. It is evident that the wall slabs or members thus fitted together and also fitted upon the base projection 1, 1 will be prevented from separating or being dis-located with respect to each other and the rail I, but will be held together to form a at wall.

At each cornerof the building it is expedient to have special posts I2, Il which are substantially square in cross section and provided with projecting ribs I4, I5 which are intended to ilt into the grooves I2 of the wall members which are placed against the same.

The dimensions of the wall members are designed to allow for the mentioned ribs and grooves and also for receiving the rail projections 1 and in addition to accommodate a door frame or a window so that the door with its frame or any window with its associated frame will in each case merely form a modification in a single wall slab or member. Thus certain of the wall members I6, I6; for example, are of the same dimensions as wall members 0, 8, but each is provided with a window frame I1 and with window sashes I8, I9 so that the introduction of one or more windows into the wall structure will in no way interfere with the general scheme of construction, as the window frame and sashes are fitted into the individual wall members Il preferably before the wall member is set up and used in the wall to be constructed.

In similar fashion the wall member 20 is provided with a door frame 2| (Figures 1, 2 and 3) accommodating a door 22 of the more or less conventional construction, said wall member being, of course, as the same general dimensions as any of the wall members l or I6. However, in order to accommodate the door 22 properly the base rail I is cut beneath the door frame and a special threshold rail 23 is introduced beneath the door frame, so that the door may take against the same and provide a low and durable threshold for entry into the building. The threshold rail 2,3 is provided with a downwardly extending rib 24 projecting down into the groove 5 ofthe foundation 4 as in the case of the rail rib 2 (see Figures 1, 3 and 4). It is evident that the upper end of the wall member 20 and both upper and lower ends of wall members Il have the hollow sections I0 as already described in connection with wall members s to accommodate the rail projections 1.

In many buildings it will obviously be desirable to have partitions within, and in order to accommodate-such a partition 2l as shown in section, a special intermediate base rail 20 is placed in position upon the foundation with a downwardly extending rail 21 projecting into the foundation as in the case of rail I. The mentioned intermediate rail is of substantially the same width as the partition 25 and also provided with upward projections 1' which fit into the hollows I0 of said partition 25. This partition actually consists of further wall members 9 which are preferably identical in every respect to the exterior wall members which have neither windows nor doors therein, but merely form fiat portions of the wall. In view of the fact that the partition in any case would extend to an outer wall either at the side or front or rear of the building, the side wall generally indicated at 2l in Figure 1 is provided with an intermediate partition post 29 (Figures 1, 4 and 5) which is generally square in section like the corner posts I 3, but inasmuch as the same should engage with the outside wall members and also with the partition the same has the two opposite ribs 30, 3| and upon its third face an additional rib 32 making a 90 angle with the rst two ribs. The two ribs 20 and 3| engage in the edge grooves of the wall members l and I6, while the third rib engages in the edge of the partition wall member so that said partition 25 will be disposed at right angles with the side wall 28 when the various members are in place.

An alternative method of attaching a partition wall 25 to a wall 2l is shown in fragmentary form in Figure 8, where a T-member Il is inserted in the end slot of the partition wail section I and also in the end slots of the two wall sections of the outer wall 2l, the two tongues I0 being cut short in order to allow for the projection of one portion of said T-member through wall 2l into the end slot I2 of the partition wall member. The latter is thus allowed to abut directly against the side wall 2l while the dimensions of said side wall are not altered in any manner in order to accommodate said T-member.

In order to cap the structure with a proper roof, generally indicated at 33, the wall members are surmounted by a wall cap rail 34 of special cross section and provided with a plurality `of depending spaced projections 35 which are intended to tit into the upper ends of the hollow portions I9 of the wall members and thereby hold the upper ends of the latter in assembled relation. This wall cap rail is in each case pro-l vided with a depending inner face portion 36 which conceals the upper ends of the wall members from view within the building and assists in holding the members assembled and likewise provides a nish to the latter as seen from within. The upper vertical portion of the cap rail 31 projects exteriorly beyond the general plane of the wall members and terminates immediately beneath the roof 33, while serving to support the horizontal portions thereof, but has a ledge or shoulder 36 for supporting roof beams 39, 39 and thereby increases the amount of support given the rooi.

The partition 25 is also provided with a cap -rail, indicated at 40, which has depending tongues or projections 4I engaging in the hollow I in the wall members 9 of the partition, and also has an upwardly projecting intermediate rib 42 extending between the roof beams 39, 39 which are in line and rest upon the ledges 43, 44 of said rail 46. The latter also has the inner face por tions 45, 46 to conceal the upper end of the partition and harmonize with the facing 36 of the outer rails 34.

The roof consists of a series of roof slabs 41, each of which has a tongue 48 overlapping a corresponding tongue 49 of the next adjacent roof slab as shown in Figures 1 and 8, while the roof beams or rafters v39 are in each case individually integral with a roof slab 41 so that each slab is thus reinforced by a roof beam. When a series of such roof slabs and beams are assembled to form a series as shown in said Figures land 9 they will interengage by means of their tongues 48 and 49, while their beam portions rest upon the ledges or shoulders of the cap rails and the slat portions 41 rest upon the upper edges of the vertical walls 31 of said cap rails. In the one story structure shown in the iigures thus far described, it is clear that the roof at the same time forms the ceiling within the rooms, while the wall members which face the outside form the walls without any further iinish within, it being of course taken into consideration that in order to x the parts together more rmly and render the structure more tight and weatherproof, some plastic cement may be used inthe various joints for setting the base rails and wall members in place, serving as a binding and waterproofing medium.

In order to provide a perfectly flat ceiling beneath a floor or the roof, the beams 39 of said floor or roof may be provided at their lower edges With low dovetail rtions so that it will he possible to slide ceiling members I endwise between each pair of beams 39 by engaging the channeled portions 52. 52 thereof with said dovetailed portions, as particularly shown in Figure 9. The ceiling members or sections may be cemented or glued in place, but usually the interengaging dovetail portions and slots of the beams and ceiling sections will sufce to hold the same securely in` place after being once assembled.

While a one story structure has been described, it is quite evident that two or more stories can be built. as for example as shown in Figure 2,

where the house generally indicated at 52 has base rails I, I and cap rails 34, 34 as before and wall members 9, 9, etc., corner posts I3, I3, etc.. except that the posts and wall members are repeated above for a second story. The only actual difference in the construction from that of Figures 1 through 5 is that the lower tier of wall members is in .Figure 6 surmounted by an intermediate cap rail 53 which is shown in further detail in Figures 11 and 12, being provided with a series of dependingprojections 54 adapted to t into the hollows I0 of the upper ends of the wall members of the rst story or tier, and upon the upper portion similarly provided with a spaced series of upwardly extending projections 55 adapted to enter the lower ends of the hollows I0 in the upper tier lof wall members forming -the walls of the second story. Parallel with the lower projections 54 is an inner facing 56 to conceal the upper ends of the wall members of the lower tier from view within the building, While immediately above saidfacing is a ledge or shoulder 51 for supporting the beams 39 integrally with the slabs 41, which are identical with the roof members of Figures 1, 3 and 4 already described, butin this case serve as a floor for the second story. The ilat slab portions 41 are cut a short distance back from the beam end portions 39 integral therewith, while side notches 59 are cut into the sides of said end portions to allow the tongues 62 of the intermediate rail 53 in order to definitely locate and retain each oor member in place and thus provide an absolutely firm support for the entire floor. Of course, the edge tongues 48 andv 49 mutually overlap in the adjacent slabs as already described.

The roof 6I is, of course, constructed in the same fashion as roof 33 of Figure 1 and in other respects the building is very similar in detail to that of the structure iirst described, Figures 7 and 8 showing certain of these details already referred to.

In this connection, it should be observed that the roof may in each case have a suflicient pitch (not shown) to shed water from rain and snow, and in fact, the roof may be actually peaked so as to form a gable roof as shown in Fig. 13. The wall members 9, 9 may be surmounted by cap or crown members 69, 69 similar to cap members 34 of Figs. 14 and 8, except that their upwardly projecting rail portions 1I are beveled to allow the roof slab portions 68, 68 to overhang and form eaves, while the beam portions 61, 61 associated with said slab portions terminate immediately Within said rail portions and take against the same above the ledges 12, 12. Upon these ledges are supported horizontally disposed beam portions 65 with associated slab portions 66, extending to said rail portions 1 I, 1I,

At the peak of the roof is a special reinforcing member or rail 10 including a central vertical portion 13, two lower outwardly extending ledges 14 supporting beam portions 61, 61 and a pair of corresponding cap portions 15, 15 overhanging the upper ends of the roof slabs 68, 68. The beams 65, 65 and 61, 61 are preferably alternated in their arrangement on the cap members 69, 69, and, if desired, pins may be inserted to connect the outer ends thereof to keep members 61, 61

from spreading. The beams 66 and 61 could also be superposed to form a truss structure.

Sometimes it will be convenient to have a building of the present type capable of being taken apart in only two or three pieces, either by splitting the building vertically, or dividing it horiable adoption of the design provided with a suitable wheel arrangement and used for a time as a trailer and then transported to the new site and there quickly set up again.

Such a form of. separable house is partly shown in Pig. 14, the lower section I8 reaching up to a sill Il serving as a window sill at the locations of the windows (not shown) and also continuing all around as a cap rail for thewall members 11, 11. The latter are mounted on basemembers I, I as before, with the tongues 1, 1 projecting up into the air spaces 1I, 'Il thereof while the depending tongues Il, Il of the sill extend down into the same spaces.

The lower section II ofthe house will thus be entirely intact with its base I, floor l, walls 11 and sill 19, capable of being separately moved by trailer truck to a desiredsite. The upper section Il oi' the house preferably has a bottom rail $4 with upwardly projecting tongues 8l' extending into the air spaces II of the upper wall sections 82, I2, while beneath bottom rail 8l is a group of spaced depending tongues Il, adapted to iit into apertures 'Il' provided in sill 19 when the upper section vtl is lowered into place on lower member 1l. This form of house may thus be quickly lifted apart and as quickly brought together along a predetermined line of cleavage,

land may therefore actually be built up into its complete sections or rooms at the factory and transported in sections -to the site.

Although windows and doors have been shown which merely occupy a wall section each, it is evident that special windows. and doors of two or three panelgwidth may be used, the wall sections being cut accordingly. A

On the other hand, stairs may beintroduced exteriorly or interiorly and fitted into the general design of the houses described with suitable connections to the walls, and partitions thereof. lIt is likewise easy ftolintroduce and arrange an interior or exterior -chimney with suit- .of the building for the same. ,l a

If it should be necessary to include a cellar below the building in multi-storyfhouses or the like, the floors and walls can readily include proviy sion for stairs down to the. same as well asa deeper foundation to accommodate the height of said cellar, while the girders andposts canbe built up for the extra strength required.

The principles described above are ,well suited for constructing iioors, walls and roofsi'or factory structures covering large areaan'as well as for other types of large structures suchas dormitories and group dwellings. l The materials of which-the wall slabs or members, the rails, the floor slabs, the roo! members aswell as posts are made may vary and may be such as are commonly found on the market, or they may be molded from plastic masses or any other compositions, etc., and I do not wish to be hunted to any specific materials in this respect so long as they are strong enough to serve all structural purposes disclosed herein.

AIl'roxn the foregoing `it is clear that a prefabricated building having one or more stories may easily be set up very rapidly and conveniently as long as the base, intermediate cap and cap rails are of the proper ,lengths to exactly accommodate a given number of upright wall members and corassacss ner" posts` and perhaps alsoY one ormore intermediate posts,'with standardized iloorlng introduced between the'walls. In other words. the height of the wall members and Posts is intended s to be standard and therefore it will be easy to standardize the various lengths of the rails just mentioned so that substantially no cutting or finishing of any kind will be necessary at the location of the building when erecting the same, 10 but merely introduction ofa little plastic cement in the joints and grooves. etc., will sumce to secure the rails. flooring, wall members, ceiling and vroof in assembled condition so as to form a relatively durable and weatherproof structure. It is clearly lapparent that no nails, screws, angle plates or metal plates of any description, nor any fastenings are actually needed, or even desirable in the structure although the same could be used, but the main feature of the-invention is to eliminate all such fastening means. Therefore an unprecedented speed of erection will be possible, and a satisfactory structure will be obtained. while on the other hand, the nature of the construction involved allows said structure to be readily taken apart at will.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. A prefabricated building structure including in combination, upright wall means consisting of a plurality of upright substantially flat and interchangeable wall members each having hollow re cesses or portions therein and fitted together' along their longitudinal edges by mutually engaging tongue and groove portions and forming the outside walls of the structure, and elongated base means disposed beneath each wail means to support the same said base means having a plurality of distinct upwardly extending rigid projections each extending a distance up into a hollow recess or portion within the lower end of one of 40 said wall members in order to locate and retain the same in place upon said base means, said wall means serving to support superstructure including roof means.

2. A prefabricated building structure including in combination, upright wall means consisting of a plurality of upright substantially fiat and interchangeable wall members each having hollow recesses or portions 'therein and tted together along their longitudinal edges by mutually ene gaging tongue and groove portions and forming the outside walls of the structure, and elongated base means disposed beneath each wall means to support the same said base means having a plurality of distinct upwardly extending rigid projections each extending a distance up into a hollow recess or portion within the lower end of one of said wall members in order to locate and retain the same in place upon said base means, said wall means serving to support superstructure including roof means and elongated cap or sill means disposed upon the top of each wall means to cap the same and having a plurality of distinct downwardly extending rigid projections each extending a distance down into a hollow recess or portion within the upper end of one of said wall members in order to locate and reelongated base means each including a downwardly extending intermediate rib adapted to project into a groove in a foundation and an exterior downwardly extending edge portion or apron spaced from said rib and parallel there- -With.

4. A structure according to claim 1", having corner posts disposed at the junctions of the side walls lwith the front and rear walls which are substantially rectangular in cross section, and each provided with longitudinally disposed intermediate ribs upon two sides engaging in the groove portions of the adjacent wall members which are disposed at substantially righi'l angles with respect to each other.

5. A structure according to claixn2, having the cap or sill means consisting of a substantially flat horizontal portion with an upwardly projecting continuous wallof limited height at one side edge thereof. and at the other edge a downwardly projecting continuous wall depending from the other side edge in spaced relation with respect to the rigid projections of said cap or sill means to form an apron to conceal the upper ends of the wall means within the structure when assembled.

6. A structure according to claim 2, having the cap or sill means consisting of a substantially flat horizontal portion with an upwardly projecting continuous wall of limited height, the horizontal portion of the cap or sill means forming a ledge, and the superstructure also including a roof means carried upon said ledge and upon the upper edge of the continuous wall forming part of said cap or sill means.

7. A structure according to claim 2, having the cap or sill means consisting of a substantially at horizontal portion with an upwardly projecting continuous wall of limited height, the horizontal portion of the cap or sill means forming a ledge, and the superstructure also including a roof means consisting of a plurality of beams lying edgewise upon the ledge and extending substantially to the continuous side wall of the cap or sill means, and a substantially horizontal elongated panel or strip rigid with each beam and extending over one side thereof toward the next adjacent beam and terminating in a tongue projecting into a corresponding recess in the upper edge of the next adjacent strip and beam, the strips projectingbeyond the ends of the beams so as to overlie the upper edge of the continuous wall upon the cap or sill means.

8. A structure according to claim 1, including an intermediate wall portion between the outer walls to form a partition within the structure and an elongated base means disposed beneath said partition having a downwardly extending rib projecting into a groove or channel in an intermediate portion of a foundation. and a series of individual upwardly extending rigid projections each serving to extend into a hollow recess or portion in the lower end of one of the wall members forming the partition and thereby positively fix the same in place.

9. A structure according to claim 1, including an intermediate wall portion between the outer walls to form a partition within the structure and an elongated cap means consisting of a substantially horizontal member having two flat ledge portions with an upwardly extending continuous limited partition separating said ledge portions and a series of spaced downwardly extending rigid projections spaced from the side edges of said cap means and each adapted to extend into a hollow recess or portion in the upper end of the wall members forming the partition in order to retain the same in place.

10. A structure according to claim 2, having the cap or sill means consisting of a substantially zontal beams lying edgewise upon the ledge and extending substantially to the continuous side Wall of the cap or sill means, substantially longitudinai undercut slot or channel portions upon the lower sides of each beam, and a substantially horizontal elongated slab rigid with the upper -portion of each beam and extending over one yside thereof toward the next adjacent beam, and

ceiling means adapted to be assembled and associated with the beams to conceal the same, including a plurality of panel or slab members adapted to be tted longitudinally of said beams and having edge portions extending into the undercut slot portions of said beams.

1l. A prefabricated building structure according to claim l, and having a second tier of similar wall means forming a second story above the rst mentioned wall means, said upper tier of wall means serving to support superstructure including roof means, and means disposed between the upper and lower wall means including in each case an elongated member having a series of depending projections each extending a limited distance down into a hollow recess or portion in the upper end of a lower wall member, and a similar series of upwardly extending projections each extending a limited distance up into a hollow recess or portion in the lower end of an upper wall member, said projections in both series being disposed intermediate the side edges of the elongated means, and the latter having a pair of ledges upon one side adapted to receive beams and iiooring members to form the second floor within the structure.

12. A lprefabricated building structure including the combination of an elongated wall base disposed in substantially horizontal position and having a plurality of upwardly extending rigid projections spaced apart along the same and serving each to extend up a limited distance into a hollow recess in the lower end of a wall member resting on said wall base so as to locate and retain the wall member in place on the latter, an elongated wall cap spaced a distance above said wall base and having a plurality of downwardly extending projections spaced apart along the same and each serving to extend a limited distance down into a hollow recess inthe upper end of a second wall member located above the rst in order to locate and retain said upper end of the same in assembled relation with said wall cap, and an elongated intermediate wall cap disposed between the rst and second wall members in substantial parallelism with the wall base,

i said intermediate cap having a plurality of downwardly extending rigid projections spaced along the bottom surface thereof each serving to extend a limited distance down into a hollow recess in the upper end of the rst mentioned wall member in order to locate and retain said upper end in place, and also a plurality of upwardly extending rigid projections spaced apart along the upper surface of said intermediate cap and each serving to extend a limited distance up into a hollow recess in the lower end of the second or upper wall member in order to locate and retain the same in place upon the intermediate cap member.

13. A structure according to claim 1 having two oi' the said wail members intermediate the ends of a wail arranged with their grooved portions facing one another, lan upright connecting member having longitudinal ribs upon two opposite sides engaging in the grooved portions oi the said two wall members said connecting member having a third longitudinal rib upon its third side extending into afgroove portion in another.

wall member forming part oi' a partition dis' posed at right angles to said nrst mentioned wall members.

14. A structure according to claim 1 having two of the said wall members intermediate the ends assenso facing one another, and an'upright T-shaped edges ot the same two wall members and seating oi a wall arranged with theirgrooved portions in agroove `portion in the edge of another wall member disposed against said two wall members and at substantially right angles thereto.

JEROME ZIRINBKY. 

